Magulilwa School

It all began with a group of empty buildings and a dream.  Why should the 12-year old graduates of the primary school in Magulilwa finish their formal education at that age, with no chance of furthering their education?  The dream was to change this.  There was a group of empty buildings in the village that would be a good place to start.  The village agreed to donate the buildings and 56 acres of land for the school.  A team in the U.S. agreed to begin fundraising by contacting everyone they knew.  The villagers agreed to make bricks from the red earth. Soon, the empty, run-down buildings were renovated to create a dining hall, and classrooms and office space.  A girls’ dormitory was constructed with hand-made bricks.  The school opened in January 2006 with its first class of 70 students.  Since then, the school has added a library, boys’ dormitory, computer lab, science hall, new teachers’ housing, and additional classrooms to accommodate each new class that has been added. Now, because of generous support and hard work, the school is in its 2nd decade of operation, offering an education to more than 100 students each year.  For Magulilwa, this makes a significant difference (see Education in Tanzania).  Magulilwa Area Secondary School has earned a reputation in the region for not only providing an education, but providing a high-quality one.  The students study several subjects, including: Chemistry, Mathematics, Geography, History, English, Biology, Physics, Civics, Kiswahili, Commerce and Bookkeeping, and have performed well on national examinations.  They are acquiring lifelong skills that will help them improve their lives and to change their communities for the better. As Suleimu Mwilongo, age 12 said to Evaristo Sanga when he visited the school, “Thank you very much (asante sana) for remembering us and building the school.” The villagers are grateful that he remembers his roots.  The hope is that this opportunity for education will help students improve their lives, and to become leaders in their communities.

Change It Forward Foundation- Tanzania
P.O. Box 24125 Edina, MN 55424

Change it Forward - Tanzania is a 501(c)(3) organization.